A heavy metal concert might be a tough place to think about physics, especially in the mosh pit, where some audience members dance violently. But the mosh pit itself is actually an interesting place to find physics in action. And not just force equals mass times acceleration.

Metal-loving Cornell researchers analyzed videos of mosh pits and mapped the motion of participants. They found that the collisions of moshers was similar to the motion of molecules in an ideal gas. Mosh dancers can also form what is called a circle pit, where they run collectively in a ring, creating a vortex pattern.

But why bother to look at mosh pits in the first place? The physicists think their research may also apply to other extreme situations, which could help us understand collective human movement in panics and riots. So I say, rock on.